Design Within Reach Names John Edelman As President And Chief Executive Officer

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Design Within Reach, Inc. (Pink Sheets: DWRI) announced today that John Edelman, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Edelman Leather, a division of Knoll, Inc. (NYSE: KNL), will join Design Within Reach as a Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 3, 2010.

Mr. Edelman, 42, has more than 20 years experience with consumer-focused, lifestyle brands. During his 14-year tenure at Edelman Leather, six years as President and CEO, he exponentially increased its brand awareness, sales and profits as the leading national provider of premium leather to the home furnishings industry. He was instrumental in leading the sale of his namesake company to Knoll, Inc. in October 2007. Prior to joining Edelman in 1995, Mr. Edelman spent seven years at Sam & Libby, Inc., where he was responsible for its U.S. business.

Simultaneous with the appointment of Mr. Edelman, the company has also hired John McPhee, 46, as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. McPhee was formerly Chief Operating Officer of Edelman Leather, which he joined in 2003. Previously he held senior management positions with Candie's, Inc. as President, and Sam & Libby, Inc. as Executive Vice President. In addition to his consumer experience, Mr. McPhee has extensive real estate development and management expertise.  

Glenn Krevlin, Chairman of DWR, said, "During the search process, the Board met with many highly qualified candidates, but the search committee unanimously concluded that Edelman and McPhee were the perfect team to lead the future vision of DWR. John Edelman is a charismatic, creative and team-oriented executive with an approachable style. He has a strong knowledge of and affinity for the modern home furnishings aesthetic and is considered to be an industry expert in 'modern.'"  

Mr. Krevlin added: " John McPhee is a seasoned operational executive who has a strong background in IT, logistics, real estate and finance. He will be an exceptional compliment and partner to John Edelman. My vision was to find leaders for DWR that foster a culture that is maniacally focused on servicing our clients and customers. This team will help us achieve these goals."